SS3 Her Infinite Variety
by Denise Felt
Summary: When Straker's fiancee visits her father in Merry Old England, there are unforeseen consequences.


**3. Her Infinite Variety**

**(A UFO Story)**

by Denise Felt 2010

**_Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety. _– Antony and Cleopatra, Act 2 Scene 2**

**Chapter 1**

"I have . . . concerns."

She sat back in the chair with a sigh, crossing her legs as she said, "Because of the last time."

Straker looked at his fiancee. Somehow his studio office was livelier with her in it. Even when she was pouting. "Let's face it, Chandra. You nearly died."

She jumped up and paced the office. "But I didn't, Ed! Everything turned out fine."

His eyes turned cold. So did his voice. "Let me rephrase. You _did_ die. If I hadn't been able to revive you . . ."

He didn't go on – he couldn't – but his unspoken words echoed through the room.

Chandra came back to the desk, meeting his eyes bravely. "I know. I'm sorry to sound flippant, Ed. I wasn't making light of it. Truly I wasn't."

He forced himself to relax and accept the sincerity in her violet eyes. "Then please tell me what you meant to say."

She sat back down, frowning as she tried to put her thoughts into words. "I guess it's just that I'm not used to thinking about it so much, weighing all the pros and cons. It's just something that I do. Like you – when you drive your car."

"I see." And the problem was that he did. He never thought twice before getting behind the wheel of his car and going wherever he needed to go. But Chandra would. She'd never learned how to drive. He doubted if she'd been in any one place long enough to even consider taking lessons.

"Most of your time on Earth has been spent jumping from one time to the next, hasn't it?"

She shrugged. "It's what I do."

"And you'd prefer it if I stayed out of it and just let you do it, wouldn't you?" he asked quietly.

She looked at him in shock. "No! That's not it at all!"

"Isn't it?" he insisted grimly. "Aren't you regretting your decision to get married, to settle down in one spot, when you could be off doing whatever you want?"

"No!" She stood up, staring at him. "Is that what you think? How . . . ? Why . . . ?"

She took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. Her eyes were intent on his when she said, "I love you, Ed. It means more to me than I know how to express that you love me too. That we're getting married. I don't understand why you would think that I could regret it for even a minute."

He could not resist the hurt in her eyes. He stood and came around the desk, drawing her into his arms. "I'm sorry," he said softly, holding her close. "You've seemed . . . restless this past week, with the wedding so close. It made me think that perhaps you were regretting your decision."

Chandra sighed, hugging him tightly. She could hear his heart beating against her ear and wished that she could speak past the sudden lump in her throat to tell him all that he meant to her.

When she could finally speak, she said softly, "I guess I have been restless lately. And it does have to do with getting married, in a way. It has to do with the wedding."

He kissed her hair. "Bridal nerves? Shall we elope? It would make Alec happy."

She shook her head, a small smile on her lips. "I know. He's been bugging me for days about it. He can't really hate dressing up that much, can he?"

Straker grinned. "I think it's more that he likes teasing you."

"Oh."

After a few minutes, he drew back and met her eyes. "Chandra? Is that what it is? You're nervous about the wedding?"

She didn't hold his gaze long, but dropped her eyes and said, "No, of course not. It's nothing really, Ed."

He lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. "Please tell me," he said. "Let me help."

She suddenly whirled away from him, waving her arms in agitation. "There's nothing you can do! It's just the way things are. Nobody can change it! I've tried not to think about it -- to let it bother me. Because there's nothing anyone can _do!_"

"About what?" he asked quietly, hearing the tears behind her looked at him then, her amethyst eyes heartbroken. "You can't fix this for me, Ed. It's just the way things are. He's not a jumper. There's no way to bring him here for the wedding."

He sighed, understanding at last. Her father. Of course, she would want him at her wedding. She'd want him there to give her to her new husband. He felt foolish for not realizing it before now.

He went to her, taking her hands and drawing her down onto the couch nearby. "I'm sorry, darling. I didn't realize. Of course, you want him here."

She leaned against him gratefully. "It's just that I'm so happy. I want to tell him about it. About you. I want to share it with him. I want him to be happy for me."

Straker rested his cheek against the top of her head and said meditatively, "It might help if you could visit him."

"But you don't want me jumping!" she said in surprise.

"Into the future, Chandra," he explained. "I'm concerned about you jumping into the future. But the past holds no dangers for you." He paused, then added after a moment, "Unless you plan to visit a famous battle or something like that."

She grinned at him. But then she shook her head. "I can't talk to him, Ed. He'd want to know why I wasn't visiting him in the Library. What could I say?"

He considered. "You'll just have to keep the conversation focused on what you want to tell him. Maybe you could write it out beforehand and practice it."

Her eyes widened. "You mean, rehearse it? Like a play? I could do that."

Then her face fell. "But Dad's a playwright. He'll see right through me."

Straker shook his head. "He may be a playwright; but you, my darling, are an incredible actress. My money's on you."

When she laughed and hugged him, he realized that he hadn't heard her laughter for several days. It felt wonderful to hear it again.

She sighed happily and said, "You are so incredible."

He kissed her. "I'm glad you think so."

Chandra grinned at him, her fingers toying with the hair at his nape in that unconscious way she did that drove him crazy.

"Lucky Starr to the rescue," she murmured against his was chuckling as he pressed her back against the couch cushions.

After a few minutes, he reluctantly drew away.

"You are a bad influence on me," he told her with a shake of his head. "You make me forget where we are."

She looked at him. "Ed, this is your studio."

"Yes," he said, unsure what she meant.

"This is your office."

"Yes." He was beginning to get an inkling.

"And this is your couch."

He sighed. "True. But I don't handle my business practices like other film producers."

She grinned. "You mean, seducing starlets in your office? I'm glad to hear that you don't. But I didn't realize we were discussing business."

"Well, no," he conceded. "But these are business hours."

"You're right," she agreed with a nod. "But aren't you allowed a break for lunch?"

He stood and walked over to his desk. He leaned back against it, his eyes on hers as he said, "You're right. I am." He pressed the button on his desk that locked his office door.  
"And I might be persuaded to take one – with the right encouragement."

Chandra grinned and blushed at his ornery expression. She came to him, running her hands up his chest as she murmured, "Perhaps I can entice you."

He brought her close. And closer still. And said with a soft sigh, "Darling, you entice me every time you smile."

***

Alec Freeman entered Straker's outer office with the personnel files he wanted to go over with him. He grinned at Miss Ealand, Straker's attractive secretary, as he went past her desk. But he was brought up short at seeing Straker's office door closed. Then he noticed the lit sign above it, indicating that the commander had locked the door.

He didn't ask the secretary about it, because she was on the phone. He realized after a moment that the caller wasn't happy. Miss Ealand was at her most conciliating.

"Yes, sir. As soon as he's free. Of course. Yes, I realize that. I'll let him know. Right."

She hung up the phone and looked at the colonel.

He grinned at her. "Henderson?"

"Yes. This is the second time he's called in the last hour. He's practically foaming at the mouth."

He raised a brow. "Is Ed avoiding him?"

"No. He's . . . busy."

"Too busy for Henderson? Who's in there with him?" the colonel asked as he leaned against her desk. "Someone important?"

She straightened her stack of files. "It's Reva Maxwell, Colonel. His fiancée."

"Oh." Then his eyes strayed to the lit sign and were suddenly filled with an unholy light. He said in an entirely different tone, "_Really?_"

She went back to her typing, refusing to comment.

"Well, I guess I'll just . . . come back later," Alec said with a wicked grin before leaving the office.

Miss Ealand almost wished he'd stayed. She would have liked to have heard how he really felt about the commander's impending marriage. To an actress, of all things. It was just so unlike him.

As was this behavior. She had always been proud that her boss never lowered himself to the level of ordinary studio producers, who tended to act like unruly boys in their own personal playground. In fact, she'd admired him for treating all of the studio personnel – actresses included – as though they were just anybody. So she wasn't sure what this change meant.

She wasn't as foolish as a few of the jealous cats on staff she could name. She knew that the commander would never have brought a civilian – especially an actress – into SHADO without a very good reason. But he was being extremely reticent explaining that reason to anyone else. Although she assumed by his unconcern that Col. Freeman knew of it. And of course, General Henderson. As difficult as the general was to work with, he'd never have countenanced such an addition to their staff without ironclad proof that she was an asset.

So Miss Ealand was willing to bide her time. Sooner or later, it would become obvious to everyone at HQ why the commander had made such an apparently foolish move. It never paid to underestimate the man.

Her eyes strayed to that lit sign above his office door, and she sighed. Asset or not, Reva Maxwell was apparently not going to be a good influence on the commander.

***

Alec handed him the personnel files as he came into the studio office.

"Here's the background checks on the additions to the FX department. They look good to me, but see what you think."

Straker nodded. "Fine. Maybe this'll get Miss Bauer off my back."

Freeman grinned. "How long has she been screaming for more help?"

"Too long." Straker skimmed through the files, initialing each one.

"Say, Ed," Alec said casually. "Where's Chandra?"

The pen in Straker's hand paused, then resumed writing. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I brought these files by earlier, but you were busy. Miss Ealand said you were talking to Chandra."

"Yes." Straker continued working, but a dull flush crept up his neck. "We were . . . finalizing plans for the wedding. Did you need to speak to her?"

"No," Alec said, giving up. His friend might be mortified at being caught misbehaving, but he was obviously determined to pretend none of it ever happened. And he was too good an actor for Alec to always be able to get a rise out of him.

The colonel sat in the chair and changed the subject. "So, what did Henderson want?"

The commander sighed. "The usual. He's complaining about the cost of hauling the alien device from the Cape Horn station to our research facility in Sydney."

Freeman rolled his eyes. "You'd think he'd be happy we finally have a piece of their technology to study instead of complaining about it!"

Straker's smile was rueful. "Well, you know Henderson."

Alec grunted. "Yeah. Never happy."

The commander chuckled, twirling his pen. "Well, when it comes to money anyway."

Alec's eyes lit up. "Say, Ed! Speaking of money, I hear we got a nice fat settlement from Donna McDowell."  
Straker met his eyes. "A very fat settlement, Alec. There should even be enough left over after remodeling the theatre stage area to get Rosie more storage racks for Wardrobe. She and Chandra both insist they need at least thirty more."

"Ah, well!" Alec said philosophically. He'd hoped for a small slice of the pie for his own projects. "Easy come, easy go."

"No, no, Alec!" the commander scolded with a twinkle at the back of his eyes. "You won't get your funds that way. You've got to complain more! Fill my desk with memos. Hound me all over the studio. It's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease, you know."

Freeman shook his head. "Ed, at my worst, I could never be that annoying. It'll wait."

Straker grinned. "I managed to tag ten thousand for your department, Alec. Use it wisely."

"Really? Hot damn!" He got to his feet and headed out of the office, his mind on ways to make every pound of the windfall work for him. However, he stopped in the doorway to give his friend a stern look.

"You wouldn't be trying to bribe me to keep me from talking about today's locked door escapade, would you, Ed?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Alec," his boss replied blandly, going back to work. "There are other departments that could use the money if you don't want it."

Alec grinned at him. "Yeah, that's what I thought," he said and left the office.

If he'd looked back, he would have seen Straker's lips twitch.

***

"Would your father approve of me, do you think?" Straker asked as he drove home from the studio.

Chandra chuckled. "No. Not at all!"

He was surprised, especially since she didn't seem to be concerned about it. "Is it because I'm so much older than you?"

Her eyes widened. "Older?" she said, as though the word was foreign to her. "Of course not. Why would that have any bearing on it?"

He couldn't believe that she was as nonchalant about their age difference as she seemed. "I can give you nearly ten years, Chandra," he said sternly. "And that's if you go by your official age of thirty-six. Which you're not."

She looked at him, not comprehending his worry. "So? Age is just a state of mind, Ed."

He blinked at her in shock. What was _that _supposed to mean?

When she saw that he was completely bewildered, she tried to explain. "Ed, age is nothing. It's how you feel that counts. Haven't you had days when you've felt practically ancient?"

"Yes, I suppose so," he admitted, trying to understand.

"And then there were those days when you've felt young and frisky?"

His lips quirked. "I seem to have had a lot of those lately."

She grinned. "You see? Your age had no bearing on the situation. What mattered was how you felt."

He thought about it as he parked in the driveway. As he helped her out of the car, he said, "It doesn't bother you then – our age difference? I don't seem too old for you?"

"Old?" She shook her head, her smile rueful. "I've never thought of you as old, Ed."

He was intrigued. "How do you see me then?"

She turned to him, framing his face in her hands. Her eyes were misty as she said, "I always see you as the little boy who was so kind to me."

"Chandra!" he whispered, overwhelmed by her. He kissed her deeply, drawing her close. His arms tightened as she responded. He never seemed to be able to get close enough to her to completely erase the ache inside. He had thought – foolishly, he now realized – that being intimate with her would somehow assuage his hunger for her. But in many ways, it had only increased it. And he was finding that the more he learned about her, the greater his hunger grew. He wondered vaguely if his need for her might someday swallow him whole.

But as they headed into the house arm in arm, it didn't seem to be a matter of any great concern.

***

As they drove to the studio in the morning, he said, "You never did tell me, you know."

"Tell you what?" she asked.

"Why your father wouldn't approve of me."

"Oh. That." She shrugged. "It's just that he wouldn't understand you."

Straker frowned. "I would have thought we'd hit it off. I'm a film producer, and he's a theatrical producer. They're very similar."

She nodded. "True. However, Dad is so much more than that. As are you. But he wouldn't see the real you, of course. He'd find a film executive stuck in one place day after day and not see you as adventurous at all. He'd think you were boring. Even plebian."

"I see."

"He wouldn't understand the truth," she continued. "That every day with you is an adventure."

He pulled over to the side of the road so suddenly that she barely had time to ask him why before he kissed her. Quite enthusiastically.

"What was that for?" she asked faintly, once he'd returned to the road, and she could form coherent sentences again.

He grinned at her, his blue eyes twinkling. "Just a little excitement to add to your day."

"Oh." She took a deep breath, wondering how long it would take for her system to stop dancing and return to normal. "Well. Thank you."

**Chapter 2**

This part of London at the beginning of the 1600's was a maze of close streets and somewhat rickety buildings, but Chandra knew the way and so was not daunted. She found the Globe Theatre looking rather drab, without the gay colors it flew when a play was in performance.

Good. She had caught him between shows.

She stood just inside the doorway for a moment, letting her eyes adjust to the dim lighting after the bright sunlight outside. Her father stood in the main aisle, his hands on his hips in the arrogant way he had. He was roundly rebuking one of the actors on the stage.

"Strewth, man! Recite the lines – don't spit them at me! Start again! From your entrance!"

As the actors hastened to reposition themselves, Shakespeare turned away from the stage.

And met his daughter's eyes.

"Chandra!" he exclaimed, throwing out his arms. "My pet! I give you good morrow, daughter!"

"Oh, Daddy!" she said, her eyes welling up with tears. Blindly she ran down the aisle and was caught up in his welcoming hug.

"Come! Come!" he said briskly as he set her from him. "We'll have a pleasant coze." He waved imperiously to the players on the stage to continue rehearsing, then led her to the back of the theatre where there were benches set against the wall.

"Ah!" he said as he sat and stretched out his legs. "I'm ready for a respite. And you are a lovely enough surprise to brighten anyone's day. How are you, sweeting?"

Her smile was a trifle watery. "I'm doing well."

"Good. What brings you? Have I forgotten a meeting?"

Chandra shook her head. "No, Dad. I was just missing you."

"Well," he said, putting his arms behind his head. "If you'd saved your visit till I was back in the Library, I'd have treated you to a proper tea. The stuff they drink here is vile."

Her throat wanted to close up, but her acting skills came to her rescue, and she was able to say, "That's alright. This is fine. It's just so good to see you."

His keen eyes searched her face, but his voice remained casual. "And you. I swear, you seem to grow before my eyes! You look older, Chandra."

She was prepared for this, and said, "I've been in the future, Dad. Life moves at a much faster pace there."

"Ah!" he said, as though that explained it. "Whereabouts are you studying? Anywhere I've heard of?"

She grinned. "Actually, I've been right here in England. Not all that far from here."

"Truly? Well, then." After a moment or two contemplating the rafters, he said, "So what interests you there?"

She met his eyes fleetingly, then looked down at her hands. But he could see her blush, even in the dimness.

"I've met someone."

His brows raised. "Indeed? Tell me more! What's his name? Is he rich?"

She laughed. "Oh, Daddy! His name is Ed Straker, and I guess you could say that he's rich. He's well off. He does what you do here, only on a somewhat larger scale."

"Sweeting, a man doesn't get rich producing plays."

Her eyes twinkled at him. "In his time, they can. If they're good at it."

"And he is?"

"Oh, yes."

"I can see it in your face. You're in love with him, aren't you?"

"Very much so," she said. "He's a wonderful man."

"Tell me about him," he coaxed.

She sighed. How to describe her loving, stern, brilliant, and sweet fiancée? "He 'doth bestride the narrow world like a colossus'."

Shakespeare grinned at the quote. "Like Caesar, is he?"

"Not exactly," she admitted. "He's . . . not like anyone else in the whole world."

Her father sighed. "There it is," he said quietly. "I've been replaced. I'm not your hero anymore."

She looked at him in surprise, then laid a hand on his arm. "You'll always be my hero, Daddy."

"Well." He covered up his flush of pleasure by shifting on the bench. "Will he be marrying you then?"

"Yes," she said, smiling softly. "In just a few days."

"Good. I expect you'll get an invitation to me at the Library. I wouldn't want to miss it, now would I?"

"No, of course not," she murmured, but she didn't meet his eyes.

They were silent a while, then he patted her knee. "Well, my pet! I've a play to get ready within a fortnight. I'd best get to it. Thank you for coming and brightening my day."

"You've brightened mine, too." As they stood up, she hugged him, finding it hard to keep from crying. She kissed both his cheeks and whispered, "I love you, Daddy!"

As she hurried from the theatre, William Shakespeare watched her go, a line appearing between his brows. Something was up with his baby girl; that much was certain. He wondered if it might involve this man she was marrying. This Ed Straker. Well, he'd just have to do a little research, wouldn't he?

***

"So, Ed. I guess it's a really good thing that Ginny was working that weekend, instead of me. I doubt if I'd have pursued the aliens' plot beyond just destroying them."

Straker leaned back in his chair, the light mural slowly shifting color behind him. "I agree, Alec. But don't feel bad. I doubt if I would have pursued it either."

Freeman frowned. "But you wouldn't have worked that weekend in any case. It was your monthly visit with John, after all."

Unexpectedly, Straker shook his head. "In this timeframe, perhaps. But what if Chandra had not gone back and saved John's life, Alec? It could have been me here. If I was even still commander then."

The colonel shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't follow you into the realms of alternate timelines, Ed. I'll just say again that I'm glad Ginny was working."

Straker's blue eyes twinkled slightly. "Who knows? _You_ might have been commander."

Freeman gave a mock shudder. "God forbid!"

Whatever his friend had been going to say to that remark was lost when Lt. Ford called from Communications.

"Commander Straker, we have a sighting."

Straker pressed the intercom button. "I'm on my way."

Alec followed him out of the office and into the Control room.

"Well, Ford?" asked the commander. "Why didn't SID alert us?"

Lt. Ford turned to him. "The UFO is taking off from the ground, Commander."

"Location?"

"Wessex, sir. We haven't been able to pinpoint the exact coordinates."

Straker looked at him in astonishment. "Why not? We're practically on top of it!"

"Yes, sir. But we received its location from the New York Tracking station, sir. HQ hasn't registered it at all."

Straker's hard blue eyes seemed to bore into the lieutenant's brain for a long moment. Then the commander looked at Alec.

"Sabotage?" the colonel asked.

The commander nodded. "Find out. Quietly, Alec."

"Right." Freeman left the Control room.

Straker turned back to Ford. "Get me the New York Tracking station. And get Sky 3 in the air!"

"Yes, sir."

***

"Well, Alec?" Straker asked later when the colonel entered his HQ office.

Alec got himself a drink before sitting in front of the desk. "It was a pretty slick setup actually. A feedback loop was programmed into the tracking computer system. It had been chasing its own tail for nearly twenty-seven hours before we found it. They're purging it out of the system now. Did Sky 3 get the UFO?"

"Yes. Over the Atlantic." However, the commander didn't sound reassured by that news. "I only have one question, Alec."

"Yeah. I know. Who did it? There are eleven technicians who regularly service that computer system. It'll take a few days before we'll be able to narrow it down any further for you, Ed."

"Hmmm." Straker frowned in thought. "Maybe . . . just maybe I have a way to help you find out quicker than that. I'll have to speak to Chandra first."

The colonel got up to refresh his drink. "You want her to make a jump backward in time and catch him in the act?"

"No," Straker said. "Nothing so dangerous." He got on the phone to his secretary.

"Miss Ealand, please locate Reva in the Wardrobe building for me and tell her I need to speak with her at her earliest convenience. Thank you."

Alec was looking puzzled. "What are you going to have her do, Ed?"

The commander grinned fiercely. "Chandra can spot a Thoelian-controlled mind, Alec."

Alec's jaw dropped. "My God!"

"Exactly," Straker agreed with relish. "Get a lineup together for me."

"Right away."

***

As it turned out, Alec had already returned to Straker's office by the time Chandra arrived.

She immediately apologized for taking so long. "Rosie's so excited about the expansion of the Wardrobe department that she can't settle on what she wants to do first. She's changed her mind six times already today. If you'd needed me right away, you'd have said it was urgent – wouldn't you?"

Straker smiled reassuringly. "Yes. It's alright, darling. Alec has just gotten back with me himself."

She looked from him to Alec and back again. "So. What do you need?"

Straker said, "We have a problem we need your help to solve."

"Sure."

"You told me that you can tell when someone is being controlled by the Thoelians."

"Of course." Suddenly she looked a little anxious. "This isn't about Jeffries, is it?"

Freeman asked, "Lt. Jeffries?"

"Yeah."

"What about him, Alec?" Straker asked.

"He's one of the eleven computer techs, Ed."

"He's in the lineup?" the commander said.

"Well, no," the colonel replied. "We haven't located him yet."

Straker looked at Chandra, who seemed somewhat sheepish. "Chandra?" he asked ominously.

She grimaced at his tone. "I'm sorry, Ed. I know you told me to tell you the next time this sort of thing happened. But today's really been busy. I mean, seeing Dad this morning and then Rosie acting manic. It just slipped my mind. But I would have remembered to tell you. Honestly. Sooner or later."

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Was he under Thoelian influence?"

"Yes. Of course."

He sighed. "Will you write me up a report on the incident?"

She looked relieved. "Yes, Ed. I'll get right on it. I really am sorry not to have told you sooner."

The office was silent for several minutes after she left. Finally, Straker turned to his second-in-command. The colonel looked a little stunned.

"Well, Alec. I guess we don't need your lineup after all."

"Right." Freeman stood and went to leave the office. But in the doorway, he turned back and met his friend's eyes.

"_That_ is one extremely formidable young woman."

Straker sighed again. "You have no idea."

**Chapter 3**

Straker had arranged to pick up John from school at noon on the sixteenth. At the time, he'd been trying to spare Mary's feelings about his upcoming nuptials. But now, he was grateful for the setup for his own reasons.

Mary had not been happy to learn that he was marrying an actress, despite her apparent predictions to John. She had even tried to curtail John's visitations out of concern for moral decency. _Moral decency,_ Straker thought, still fuming about it. As if he and his actress bride would host wild orgies and invite John to join the fun!

Unexpectedly, her request had been shot down. Not by her solicitors, who had apparently been in full agreement with her. But by John himself. He'd drafted a statement that had been sent to Straker's solicitors. The commander had a copy of it that he wished he could frame. In it, John had answered every one of his mother's concerns; denying any exposure to depravity of any kind and saying simply, but determinedly, that he liked his father's fiancée and felt that she would be an excellent stepmother.

_Game, set, and match_, Straker thought as he waited for his son to come out of the school. He was so proud of him that he could burst. However much he wanted to discourage John from rebelling against his mother, he couldn't help but be pleased that John had stood up for his father. It was nice that somebody was. It was hard enough dealing with the sly looks and comments about his approaching marriage from his colleagues at the studio. But even those mattered not at all compared to the ones he was receiving from his senior staff at HQ. People he had worked with for years, who he had thought knew him better than that. It was ridiculous.

But it was a classic clichéd scenario, after all. _Middle-aged studio executive weds young actress_. Oh, yes. The press was eating it up, pleased as punch to finally have something juicy to report about him. Well, he'd given them precious little to gnaw on all these years. Perhaps he was due.

"Hey, Dad!" John called as he ran up to the car with his bookbag and overnight satchel.

Straker threw off mundane concerns as he helped John stow his stuff. "We have an appointment with Matthews at one, but we should have time for lunch first. Where would you like to go?"

Oh, man! He would get to see himself in the finished tuxedo today. John couldn't wait! But lunch was important too. He was practically starving! "Can we get pizza?"

His dad laughed and ruffled his hair. "Pizza it is!"

***

Col. Freeman was initialing reports at Straker's desk in the HQ office when the alarm went off.

"Intruder alert! Intruder alert!"

He jumped up and headed out to the Control room. Lt. Ford saw him and silenced the alarm.

"Col. Freeman," he said. "Security has just apprehended an individual trying to breach checkpoint security."

"Is he armed?"Alec wanted to know. Jeffries might be taken care of, but he may have had an accomplice.

Ford listened to the byplay from security over his headphones before answering. "No, sir. Apparently he's asking to see Commander Straker."

Freeman's face hardened. "Where are they taking him?"

"Detention room B, sir." Lt. Ford asked tentatively, "Should I contact the commander?"

"Hell, no!" Alec answered with a growl. "I'm not exposing Straker to a possible loony from the studio! Whoever it is can deal with me first."

"Yes, sir." Lt. Ford almost felt sorry for the person who had triggered the alarm. Col. Freeman in full battle mode was a force to be reckoned with.

***

John was helping his father set things up for the special dinner that night when the phone rang. Straker was checking on the casserole in the oven, so John answered the phone.

It was his Uncle Alec, sounding unusually grim. "John, can I talk to Ed?"

"Sure." John gave the phone to his dad as he came out of the kitchen. The commander had heard his son's greeting to his uncle and knew something must be up.

"What is it, Alec?" he asked.

"Ed, I'm sorry," Freeman said. "But we've got an intruder, and you're going to have to deal with him. It's beyond me."

Straker was surprised. Not much was beyond his fierce second-in-command's capabilities.

"We'll be right there."

Alec paused. He hesitated to make plans for his superior. But these were extraordinary circumstances.

"Listen, Ed. I called Paul in early. He'll be in by the time you get here, and I can take John on back to the house to finish getting things ready. Okay?"

The commander was silent a long moment, trying to read between the lines and figure out what had so upset his friend. Finally he said, "Thanks, Alec. Meet us at the front entrance."

When Straker put down the phone, he turned to his son. "Want to go for a ride?"

John wasn't fooled by his father's smile. It didn't reach those eyes. But he was no idiot. "Sure, Dad," he said.

***

As soon as Straker entered the detention room, Alec's actions became clear.

The prisoner stood at his entrance, looking him over carefully. Then he said, "You must be Commander Straker."

"I am." Straker looked him over in turn. His clothing was contemporary, his hairstyle was unexceptional, and he sported no goatee. But the commander would have known that face anywhere.

"You must be William Shakespeare."

The playwright grinned and bowed with a flourish. "At your service, sir."

The commander sighed. No wonder Alec had been dismayed. Straker gestured for his future father-in-law to be seated, then sat on a chair across from him. "Will you tell me what brings you here, sir?"

Shakespeare frowned slightly. "My daughter came to visit me."

"Yes. She told me the visit went well."

Those dark eyes met Straker's. "Chandra seemed more emotional than is her wont."

The commander nodded. "And you were concerned for her wellbeing."

"I was concerned, sir, about this man she was planning to marry!"

"I see."

Shakespeare looked at him keenly. "Do you?"

Straker nodded. "I too am a father."

"Ah!"

They sat in silence for a moment, contemplating the hardships of parenting. Then Shakespeare sighed and uttered somewhat obscurely, "Sooner a pit of asps!"

He had always prided himself on being a good judge of character. And as he looked at the fine, fair-haired man across from him, he saw a born leader. A ruler from head to foot. _Definitely_ Caesar. Well, at least the man could protect his daughter. But there were other concerns.

"My daughter was ever an adventurous imp," Shakespeare said. "After my Rosetta died, I could not bring myself to curtail her excursions. But soon she was doing it herself, out of love for me. Will you fetter her, Commander?"

Straker ran a hand through his hair. "I have tried not to do so, sir. However, she has nearly died on me once already. So it's . . . difficult."

Her father frowned. "She was not careful?"

"No. She was quite careful. But the circumstances were unusual. There was no way to adequately prepare for them in advance."

"Ah. You monitor her travels."

The commander sighed. "She allows me to, sir, for the most part. She knows that I worry for her safety."

Shakespeare shook his head sadly. "I will tell you what I learned from life with her dear mother. All the worry in the world will not prevent them from traveling. It is better to at least seem as unconcerned as they are. There are less gray hairs that way."

Straker grimaced. "I will try."

"Well, then!" The Bard shrugged as if to throw off a weight and said, "What is to come of me, Commander? I am an alien, after all. Shall you execute me as a warning to other invaders?"

The commander grinned. "Not at all, sir. You are our honored guest."

"Indeed?"

"Of course. My superiors know of Chandra's unique talent. It's why she – as a civilian – was allowed to join us here at SHADO."

"The military bureaucracy," Shakespeare said.

"Exactly." Straker stood. "I will simply tell them that you too are a jumper. It's close enough to the actual truth, after all."

Then he looked at the man who had written plays with great insight into the human condition. He said softly, "You know, don't you?"

Shakespeare met his eyes in surprise. "That my world will be destroyed? Yes, Commander. I know. There's not much that can remain hidden long from a good librarian. Unfortunately, it is not an event that can be changed."

He brooded for a moment, then continued. "You too face the threat of extinction from another world. Will you give up and let their superior forces triumph over you?"

"Not for one minute," Straker said firmly.

"Then you understand. I too shall go down fighting. Protecting my people, and saving as many as I can."

The commander saw in his eyes a determination equal to his own. He said softly, "Good luck, sir."

Shakespeare shook the hand Straker held out to him. Then he grinned infectiously. "So! Where is a man to get vittles in this place?"

Straker couldn't help but respond to that grin. "Actually, sir, we're having a dinner tonight in honor of the wedding tomorrow. You are quite welcome to join us. I know Chandra will be pleased to see you."

"Well, then!" Shakespeare said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Lead me to it!"

***

John was so excited that he could hardly be still. Not only did his new tuxedo fit him perfectly, but tomorrow everyone would see how cool he looked in it. He couldn't wait!

And as if that weren't enough, tonight they were having a special dinner just for the wedding party. Which included him! He'd never been to a grownup party before. And his favorite people would be there: Dad, Uncle Alec, and Chandra. There was Rosie from the studio Wardrobe department too. She was Chandra's maid of honor. There was great food and even a little wine for him when they did the toasts after dinner. And Chandra had made her special brownies to serve ala mode. It was just the best!

When he heard the sound of his father's car in the drive, he ran to the kitchen where Chandra was tossing the salad.

"Dad's back," he told her.

"Good," she said. "We won't have to eat without him."

John grinned, knowing that she'd been worried about it. So he said, "And I was hoping to get his share of dessert!"

She chuckled, but arched a brow. "There could be an extra piece for those who help with cleanup."

"Cool!" He came back out of the kitchen and saw his dad enter the house with another man. He was not quite as tall as his dad, and his hair was black, but his dark eyes had the same directness, the same fierce intelligence that his father's did. John wondered who he was?

When Chandra followed him out of the kitchen, he found out.

He turned when he heard her gasp, and she unceremoniously shoved the salad bowl into his hands as she cried, "Daddy!"

Her father grinned and opened his arms to receive her as she ran to him, crying and laughing at the same time.

Then she pulled back, grinning at her fiancée. "What did you do, Ed? How did you manage it?"

He shook his head, a soft smile playing about his lips. "I didn't do anything, darling. Your father managed this one all by himself."

"Daddy?"

Shakespeare shrugged. "What's a father to do, sweeting? I had to check up on this man you were marrying, didn't I? He could have been an axe murderer. Or a philanderer."

Chandra grinned, but said, "But how did you know where to find me? I know I didn't tell you."

"My pet," he told her patiently. "You gave me his name, occupation, and general location. That's more than enough information for any librarian."

John laughed. "Dad, you were googled!"

Straker's grin was rueful.

Chandra kissed her father's cheek. "Thank you for coming, Daddy. Are you hungry?"

"Famished," he told her.

"Then come and eat." She took one of his hands and then one of Straker's, and led them to the table.

The meal was a lively one. Chandra sat between her fiancée and Rosie. She had a hard time getting Rosie to talk much, because she was a little intimidated by being in her boss' home. But Alec and Ed had no trouble keeping the conversation going. John sat at the lower end of the table and chatted with Chandra's father, who was sitting across from Rosie. Chandra caught her dad asking John about googles and had to smile. Every once in a while Alec gave her father an odd look. He seemed quite bemused by him.

Straker divided his time between Alec and his fiancée, but somehow managed to keep an eye on the other end of the table as well. Shakespeare had managed to get Rosie to talk about life at the studio, with John remarking occasionally on his favorite places on the lots. It was fine at first, but after a while Straker was frowning.

Chandra had been describing to Alec the dessert concoction John had come up with for the brownies, but one look at her fiancee's face had her stopping in midsentence.

"What is it, Ed?" she asked softly.

"Is your father intent on seducing my Wardrobe supervisor?"

She glanced down the table, where her father had succeeded in making Rosie blush. "It looks like it."

Straker turned to Alec, who grinned and shook his head. "I'm not interfering. She's been turning me down for years."

The commander gave him a severe frown, then turned back to Chandra. "It doesn't bother you?"

"No. They'll probably have a lovely time."

"But your father's not staying," he said, then had an awful thought. "Is he?"

Chandra chuckled. "No, Ed. He won't hurt her. I promise."

Alec grinned over his wineglass. "Better watch it, Ed. Your morality's showing."

Straker sighed. He had just never thought of Rosie in that way. Although she was less than five years his senior, her prematurely gray hair, coupled with her no-nonsense demeanor, had made him see her as almost matronly.

But obviously, Shakespeare wasn't the only one who saw her as a desirable woman, if Alec's remarks were anything to go by. He gave it up, realizing that no one but him saw anything wrong with the situation.

He turned to Alec. "Maybe you'd better make your toast now."

His friend chuckled. And raised his glass.

**Chapter 4**

Straker married Chandra shortly after eleven in the morning on June seventeenth. It was a beautiful day, with soft breezes and plenty of sunshine. He stood at the top of the shallow steps of the Renaissance Theatre, surrounded by elaborate floral arrangements, the priest, his closest friend, and his son. Their small assemblage of friends and associates were seated on padded chairs on the marble square in front of the fountain. The lots all around them were silent; the studio was closed for the day. In the end, it had been the simplest way to handle security for the event.

The maid of honor walked down the aisle between the chairs first. Rosie wore a deceptively simple silk sheath dress that hugged her torso and fluttered around her high-heeled feet. The silk was a misty rose that brought out her hair and eyes, and she looked alluring in it. Straker almost didn't recognize her.

Evidently Chandra had not encountered any difficulties finding a last minute tuxedo for her father, because Shakespeare looked quite dapper when he escorted his daughter down the aisle.

And Chandra . . . took his breath away as she walked toward him on her father's arm. Her white gown was done in stretch velvet, in another deceptively simple design that hugged the torso and ended in a full skirt with a demi-train. As if the white of the dress were not enough to dazzle the eye in the bright sunlight, tiny diamonds had been sewn at random intervals throughout the velvet, so that it sparkled every time she moved. The vee neck plunged enticingly in front, and by some miracle of craftsmanship showed no cleavage. The velvet hugged her shoulders, leaving her arms bare and exposing her throat and most of her collarbone. The back, he realized at the end of the ceremony when he kissed her, simply wasn't there, but veed to a point just below her waist.

Chandra wore no veil; instead she wore a single white rose in her dark hair – the rose John had given her this morning.

Straker was panicked for a moment, unsure if he even knew this gorgeous creature approaching him. Then he met her eyes, brighter even than her dress and focused on him. And he relaxed.

There she was. There was his Chandra.

***

Later at the reception, she danced with her father.

"You look radiant," Shakespeare told her.

She laughed. "I _feel_ radiant, Dad. But who wouldn't today? After all, I get _him_." She smiled at her new husband as she and her father waltzed by. Straker was talking to his best man and sent her a soft smile in return.

It was never easy for a father to think of his daughter in terms of a married woman. But for Chandra's sake, he tried. "He's a good man," he conceded.

She met his eyes. "Do you like him?"

"I do. You've chosen well. There's a few more years between your ages than I would have liked, but in every other way you seem well-suited."

She shook her head at him. "You, Dad? Worrying about age? And how young was the Klingon general's daughter when you married her? Or the Bolian ambassador's niece? Or . . ."

"Now, that's quite enough!" he exclaimed, flustered by her excellent recall. "None of them were my daughter, were they?"

She kissed his cheek. "No, Daddy," she said meekly. But her violet eyes twinkled.

After a while, he asked, "Will you come visit me again?"

"I'd love to." Ed had told her that her father already knew the fate of their planet, so she wouldn't have to watch everything she said to him. And she wanted as many memories with him as she could get.

"Good." He was pleased. "And perhaps I shall visit you again."

"Really?" She was delighted to hear it.

His dark eyes twinkled merrily at her. "A father's got to keep an eye on his little girl, after all."

***

Alec cut in as the music changed.

"You make a beautiful bride," he said as he twirled her around the floor.

Chandra thanked him. "And you look quite dashing, Alec. You should always wear a tuxedo."

His rakish grin appeared. "For you, Chandra – almost anything. But not that."

She chuckled.

"You're good for him, you know," he said seriously.

She smiled at the picture her new husband made as he danced by with Rosie. "He's good for me too."

"I've got to tell you," he said. "I've never seen him so happy."

She met his eyes. "Really?"

He grunted, thinking about his friend's disastrous first marriage. "You can take it from me."

Chandra had no trouble reading between the lines of that grim statement. "Oh. But John makes him happy."

"Yeah, he does. He's a good kid. But he doesn't make Ed giddy."

She grinned at the term. "And I do?"

Alec chuckled. "Oh, yeah. And I have to tell you, it's wonderful to see. He gets too serious sometimes."

She watched Ed dancing for a moment, a slight frown in her eyes. "But his job rather requires it of him, don't you think?"

"Well, it certainly doesn't encourage him to laugh," he said. "But that's why you're good for him. You can help him enjoy life a little between crises."

"And eliminate those crises beforehand when I can," she added quietly.

"Right." He grinned at her, then said, "You already did that once already, didn't you? With John?"

Her face was solemn as she nodded. "It was necessary. If you think he gets too serious now, it's nothing like the way he used to be."

"That's right!" he said in surprise. "You knew him before – before." He glanced over at his friend, who was smiling at something Rosie was telling him. "He was a lot different?"

She shrugged. "No. He was still Ed. But he was colder; harder. And there was a deep pain in him that made it a rare thing for him to laugh. I could see it, but it took a while before I realized that it was there because he'd lost his son."

Alec shook his head, unable to fathom it. "And me?" he asked finally. "What was I like without my favorite nephew?"

She smiled sadly. "A little less . . . kind."

He met her eyes. "Then it seems we all owe you a great debt."

She blushed, lowering her eyes and shaking her head.

Alec leaned forward and kissed her very gently on her forehead. "Thanks," he whispered.

Her throat wanted to close, but she managed to whisper back, "I did it for Ed."

"I know," he said in a more normal tone. "But can you look at that kid and tell me it doesn't please you just to know he's alive?"

She followed his gaze to where John was demonstrating a complicated handshake to her father near the buffet. She couldn't help but smile. "Yes. It pleases me very much."

Chandra looked earnestly at him for a moment, then said, "Occasionally as a jumper, I get the sense of time as a whole, on a cosmic level if you will. That day in John's room when he didn't run after his father – when he _didn't _die – I felt an almost audible click go through me. As though time had been out of sync and was just then snapping back into place. It's a moment I will never forget. And a moment I remember every time I speak to him."

"You think he's important. Or he will be." It wasn't a question.

She grinned in answer. "Well, his father certainly is. What are the odds?"

"Huh." He saw Mike Campbell approaching and quickly spun Chandra in the opposite direction. He had one more question for Straker's bride before he handed her over to anyone else.

"So. Chandra," he said casually. "Where did you hide the body?"

"What? Oh. You mean Jeffries?"

"Yeah. What'd you do with it? Are we going to find it somewhere around the studio when we dig up new ground?"

"No, of course not," she reassured him. "There is no body."

His brows raised. "No body? That's some trick. Do you have a laser gun or something?"

She chuckled. "Hardly. I just made him jump with me."

"You --!" Alec nearly choked. "Um, Chandra? What happens to people who don't know how to jump?"

"They vaporize."

He stared at her for a full minute before answering. "Oh. Is that all?" He loosened his hold on her and said, "You haven't ever done that accidentally, have you?"

She grinned at him. "Of course not. In fact, this is only the second time on Earth that I've done it deliberately. Gray was the first."

"David Gray?" he asked in surprise. "I thought he was listed as missing?"

Chandra shrugged. "Well, he is."

Alec swallowed. "Right."

After a few minutes he asked, "You don't have any problem doing that then? Killing people?"

She looked surprised by the question. "Why would I? They're already dead."

"Huh." That seemed to stop him for a moment. Then he asked, "You'd have a problem if they were alive then?"

She frowned. "I don't know. What about you? Do you have a problem when they're alive?"

"Nope," he answered without hesitation. "Alive or dead, a traitor's a traitor."

"That's . . . an interesting point of view," she said, eying him with a great deal of respect.

John came up just then and cut in, demanding his turn dancing with his new stepmother.

Alec offered to fight him for her, but gave it up when John held out for foils. "Sorry, Chandra," the colonel told her in mock sorrow. "He's the devil himself with foils." Then he spoiled the chivalrous effect by adding, "Pinked me once. And that was quite enough for me."

John flushed at this reminder of his youthful exuberance, but he recovered enough by the time they had gone once around the dance floor to say, "You look great, Chandra."

She grinned at him. "So do you. It took me a moment to recognize you beside Ed during the ceremony. I didn't know who that handsome man was."

He was thrilled. "Really?"

"Really." After another pass around the floor, she said, "You dance very well."

"Yeah. A few years ago, there was this choreographer for an Edwardian film the studio did who gave private lessons, and Dad got me into classes with him. I thought the timed dance moves were so cool. Precise, you know?"

She nodded. "Precision is important."

"Yeah." He was silent a while, then said, "I like your dad."

She was delighted. "Yeah? Me too."

John chuckled. "He told me to call him Gramps. He said he'd waited forever for someone to call him that."

Her pretty eyes got a little misty. "Then I hope you will."

"Sure. He looks a little familiar, like I've seen him somewhere before. But then, so do you. So maybe it just runs in your family."

Chandra only smiled, but she wondered how long it would be before she was forced to explain her family to him. He was a brilliant young man, and quite capable of figuring it out for himself. She hoped sincerely that Ed had already made provision for such an eventuality.

John said, "So, Dad's taking you to Boston?"

"Yes," she replied, grateful for the change in topic. "He wanted to take me somewhere exotic and special."

"And he chose _Boston?_"

She smiled. "No. I did."

John shook his head. "Chandra, Boston isn't exotic."

"It is to me," she said. "It's where Ed grew up."

He grinned at her. "You've got it bad, don't you?"

She sighed happily. "Yeah."

He laughed. "I wish I was going with you. I'd love to see my grandpa."

"Has it been a long time since you've seen him?"

He nodded. "I was a baby, so I don't even remember it. But we email each other all the time. I'd love to be able to see him. He's been working on a new rose hybrid that may take the prize this year. It sounds really beautiful."

"Then why don't you come with us?"

John missed his step and had to scramble to get back into rhythm. "Uh, Chandra? I can't go with you to Boston."

She was confused. "I don't understand. You want to go, and we'd love to have you along. We'll be sailing and visiting all your father's favorite boyhood places. You'd enjoy that, wouldn't you?"

"Sure. Anyone would. But you can't take a kid on your honeymoon."

"Why not?"

He thought she was teasing him until he saw her honest bewilderment. "Because a honeymoon is for couples. You know – sex."

She grinned at his flush, but said matter-of-factly, "Well, of course, John. But there will still be a lot of time for other things. And maybe we could even arrange for you to spend the evenings with your grandfather. What do you think?"

He stared at her, emotions churning in those blue eyes so similar to his father's. After a moment, he said quietly, "It all sounds wonderful, Chandra. And it means a lot to me that you'd offer. But I can't go."

"Why?" she asked softly, aware of his distress, but unsure of the cause.

"My mom won't let me," he mumbled, not meeting her eyes.

"Oh. Of course!" she said. "She'd miss you."

He looked at her in shock, then realized that his dad must not have told her about his mom's latest slap in the face. And wouldn't Mom go ballistic if her son wanted to join them on their honeymoon?

Finally he said, "Yeah. Sure." What else _could_ he say?

"Well," she said, thinking hard. "When is your next vacation time with your dad? Maybe we could go back to Boston then?"

But John shook his head. "I don't get vacations with Dad. Just the one weekend each month."

Chandra frowned. "Why not?"

He shrugged. "It's just the way it was set up. I was pretty little when they split, and I think Dad didn't want to take me away from my mom too much."

"But you're not little now."

"No, but . . . Dad works a lot."

"Oh." She thought for a moment. "Well, I know your father plans to take more time off in the future, because he told me about it. Would it be possible to change the visitation schedule to include more time with you?"

He was a little surprised by the question. "You'd want that?"

"Of course. Why not?"

He shrugged, flushing again. "You're newlyweds."

She laughed and hugged him. "John, I have no idea where you get your ideas about sex, but even newlyweds don't go at each other all day long. We'd love to see you more often. Can it be arranged?"

He grinned, relieved that his new stepmother didn't plan to monopolize his dad's time. She had never seemed to be that way to him, but he hadn't been completely reassured by that. He knew from experience that women could be sweet when they wanted something, then ignore you once they got their way. But she really seemed to want him in their lives.

His dad had been right. Chandra wasn't like other women. She really was as sweet as she seemed. He said, "I think a new setup can be done, especially now that Dad's remarried. One of my friends at school's dad is a lawyer, and I've talked to him about a few things. But I think it'll all have to be done on Dad's end."

She nodded. "Okay. I'll talk to him about it. We'll see what can be arranged."

"Thanks, Chandra," he said. Then he added, "But not on your honeymoon, though. It'll wait till later."

She just grinned and shook her head at him. Then she looked behind him, her softening smile his only warning before a hand fell on his shoulder.

"My dance, I think," his father said.

John grinned as his father smoothly swept his bride away. "Go for it, Dad," he whispered.

Straker was quiet at first as they danced, content just to have her in his arms. But Chandra was silent too, and it made him wonder a little. Her conversation with John had seemed very serious, and he hoped his son hadn't let slip anything that might upset her.

Or make her want to change things.

Finally, he decided he needed to know what she was thinking. "You're very quiet."

Chandra looked at him fleetingly, then resumed her examination of his lapel. "Yes."

He was surprised to catch a glimpse of nerves in her violet eyes. "You're getting bridal nerves now? _After_ the wedding?"

She smiled sheepishly. "You're a little intimidating in this suit."

"I am?" He sighed and shook his head in dismay. "And here I was hoping you'd think I looked handsome."

She met his eyes at that. "You could never look handsome, Ed."

"Oh?"

She shook her head firmly. "You'd have to lose an awful lot of points to get down to handsome. I don't think it can be done."

He grinned with relief. "You're good for my ego, you know. So, what do I look like usually?"

"Gorgeous," she said, her eyes twinkling.

"Oh. Well then." He considered a moment. "And today?"

She said slowly, "I don't know. I don't have a term for higher than that. What would you call it? You . . . look like a god."

He was silent for nearly one complete turn around the floor. Then he said, "I think I understand."

"Really?"

"Yes. When I saw you today, coming toward me in this dress . . . you dazzled me. I didn't know you. Chandra, I've seen you in full costume. I've seen you naked. I thought I knew how beautiful you were. But today . . . today you were _more_. A goddess. That's not a bad description actually. Today you're a goddess."

She grinned at him, relaxing in his arms. "Is it a gift, do you think?"

"What?"

Chandra met his eyes. "Always knowing the right thing to say?"

He looked rueful. "If it is, it's one I wasn't aware I had."

After a few minutes, she said, "I'm glad you like my dress."

He chuckled, bringing her closer. "I really like your dress. It's as full of surprises as you are."

Chandra grinned, remembering when he'd kissed her at the end of the ceremony how his hand on her back had jerked in surprise when it encountered flesh instead of velvet. His hand was even now holding her the same way, his palm warm against her spine.

It made her shiver, but not in intimidation.

Their eyes met. And held for a long time.

"I love you, Ed Straker, " she whispered, her heart full.

"I love you too, Chandra Straker," he said, then stopped and softly smiled as he heard his own words. His wife. His Chandra.

"Allow me to repeat myself," he said coaxingly. "I love you, Chandra Straker."

She melted into his kiss.

Alec saw it and turned to John at the buffet. "Grab what you can, kid. I think the reception's over."

"Why?" his nephew asked around a mouthful of raspberry tart.

His uncle jerked his head to the dance floor, where Straker and his bride had stopped dancing and were completely oblivious to their surroundings.

"Oh." John watched them for a moment, intrigued by the intensity of their embrace. It was almost as if they couldn't get close enough to each other. Which was weird, because there already was no space between them at all.

"How come my mom and stepdad don't kiss like that?" he asked his uncle.

Alec nearly choked on his drink. How to be diplomatic? "Uh, some women have a greater capacity for passion than others."

"Oh. Okay." John shrugged and turned back to the buffet for another raspberry tart.

***

For Straker, his honeymoon passed in a series of single frame snapshots. All of them of Chandra.

There was Chandra in the private jet. She hadn't flown very often, not needing the hassle of it to get where she wanted to go. And she had certainly never been on a plane with its own private bedroom before. Her smile had been quite wicked as she told him at one point that she could get used to traveling this way.

There was Chandra at his family home, charming his father. Straker had been in awe as he watched his taciturn parent smile and laugh in Chandra's lively presence. And tell stories! Straker had been amazed at how many of his boyhood scrapes his father remembered. And Chandra constantly begged to hear more, her lovely eyes twinkling at her new husband.

She had even asked about his father's roses. And shown him how to take pictures of them to upload to his computer, so he could share them with his grandson. And Straker had been reminded again just how wonderful a woman he had married.

When his father had insisted that they stay at the house instead of a hotel, one look at Chandra had been enough to make Straker acquiesce. He had figured that they would not have much time alone this way. But not only did his father go off to his study every evening with a novel under his arm, but he'd given them the master bedroom, which included its own private bath as well as a balcony. Straker had found himself surprisingly sentimental at the sight of Chandra sleeping next to him in his family home.

Every morning they began the day with a swim in the pond, eventually ending up on the island. Seeing her there brought every moment of their first meeting back to him with such clarity that he had to kiss her to remind himself that he was a man and not a boy of eight. At least, that was the excuse he gave her. She only laughed and kissed him back, just as happy to be there with him as he was with her.

He took her sailing in the Bay, and would never forget how she'd looked sitting at the bow of the boat, her face lifted to enjoy the spray as it flew at them. She was such a sensual woman. It was a constant delight to him that whenever he touched her, she felt it just as keenly as he did. He hadn't known that kind of connection was even possible – until Chandra. Now he only knew he would never be able to live without it.

He'd found a shady cove where they could tie up, and he'd led her below deck. There was something especially erotic about making love with Chandra to the sway of the current. He definitely needed to go sailing more often.

Then there were the many pictures of Chandra throughout Boston.

At his elementary school – where she'd shaken her head, bewildered by the way Earthlings taught their children. She'd told him enough about how education was handled on her world to make him wish – for the hundredth time – that her planet had not been destroyed. They were such an innovative and creative race.

At his mother's grave – where she'd sat and stared at the name on the headstone as if she could see the woman it represented. When she'd reached out and laid her fingers against the engraved name, he had nearly been undone.

At the wharf where he'd spent countless childhood hours watching the boats go out and come back in – they hadn't spoken much, but sat with their feet dangling over the edge of the dock, watching life surge and flow around them. At one point, he had reached for her hand, and she had taken it, giving him a warm smile. But they hadn't spoken. It hadn't been necessary.

Later, he'd bought her an ice cream cone at one of the tourist places that dotted the Bay. This area had been built up quite a bit since his boyhood; but they still had an ice cream shop, even though it was much more modern than the one he'd gone to as a child. Chandra had taken a long time deciding on her flavor of ice cream, and it took him a moment to realize that, in many ways, Chandra was still new to his planet. John had been the one to introduce her to ice cream, and it seemed as though she had become overnight a true addict.

When they had headed back to England that final day, Chandra had cried, hugging his father and promising to visit again soon. His father had patted her shoulder and told her – told both of them, since his eyes were on his son – that they were always welcome. Straker had smiled softly and nodded. How amazing that in the end, he had needed no heavy speeches, no emotional scenes, and no uncomfortable questions in order to repair the breach between him and his father.

In the end, all he had needed was Chandra.

**Chapter 5**

"Will you stop worrying?"

"No," he said, smiling slightly to take the sting out of the decisive answer.

Chandra rolled her eyes. "Listen, Ed. It won't be like last time. I promise you."

Straker folded his arms and leaned against the wall of the lab. "You can't guarantee that."

"Yes, I can. You dug up that filtration device that would have poured chlorine gas into the atmosphere and destroyed life on Earth. It's even been dismantled, and your research team is studying it right now. So, when I go forward in time, the air should be fine."

"_Should_ is the operative word."

She sighed. "Isn't this why I was brought in to SHADO? To check out what the future holds for us, so that we can be ready for anything the Thoelians try to throw at us? Don't you want me to do my job, Ed?"

His expression tightened as he acknowledged her point, but he was not yet ready to give up his case. "I need you to promise to come back here to the lab this time."

"Okay," she said. "I promise." Then she grinned. "Besides, you're here, so of course I'll come here. My internal radar is always tuned to you."

His lips twitched, but he kept his face serious with an effort. "I'd also like for Dr. Jackson to have oxygen ready, just in case you need it upon your return."

Chandra looked at Dr. Jackson, who was obviously enjoying this byplay very much if his wide grin was anything to go by. She tried to keep an answering grin off her face. "Doctor?"

Jackson went to his desk phone and made a call. Within minutes, a medical technician entered the lab rolling an oxygen tank on a dolly. Straker watched silently as Dr. Jackson hooked up the breathing mask to the tank, and the technician checked to make sure that there was airflow. Then the doctor nodded to the technician, who left the room. Jackson then lifted a brow at the commander and said, "Will this be sufficient, Commander Straker?"

Straker came away from the wall with a sigh. "Yes. Thank you, Doctor." He turned to his wife. "Please be careful."

She met his worried blue eyes and couldn't help it. In spite of his directive against public displays of affection, she went to him and kissed him, drawing back after a moment to say seriously, "I promise to be very careful. And I promise to return here to the lab within just a few minutes."  
She backed up a few more steps to insure that she wasn't touching him, then she met his eyes and mouthed silently, _I love you_.

Then she was gone.

His heart wanted to freeze with fear at her sudden disappearance, but instead he took a deep breath and made himself lean back against the wall of the lab, crossing his arms as though willing to wait indefinitely for her return. However, his blue eyes did not waver from the spot where she had stood.

***  
Chandra breathed in the cool spring air deeply and smiled. She would never have admitted it to her over-protective husband, but she had been terrified of this jump. The accident that had occurred last time had been her first ever. Jumping wasn't dangerous when you knew what you were doing, so she had never encountered trouble before. But she was very grateful – and relieved – to find that her assumption had been correct. The air was clear.

She wandered into SHADO HQ by the back route, passing checkpoint security without a hitch. She didn't recognize the operative on duty, but then she knew it would be some time before she knew everybody. The hallways were quiet, so she must have come after shift change.

She wandered into the Control room and grinned at Keith Ford at the Communications console. He started to grin back at her, then blinked as if surprised by something. She didn't stop to ask him about it as she headed for Straker's HQ office. She'd stop on her way out, if necessary, and find out what it was about.

Chandra entered the office and grinned at her husband. He was sitting behind his desk; reading reports, if the stack at his elbow was any indication. The large light mural shifted its muted colors unceasingly behind him, giving a sense of calm to the room. She said, "Hi!"

He looked up, grinning automatically in response to the sight of her. Then he frowned, looking her over. After a long moment, his smile returned as he sat back in his chair.

"Hello, darling," he said blandly. "Did I send you here?"

Her brows rose. That was certainly quick. How had he known? "Yes, you did," she answered. "Ten months ago. To make sure that the Thoelians didn't succeed in poisoning our air."

Straker nodded. "Yes. I remember now. I've been wondering when I'd see you."

She perched on the edge of the conference table and said, "And how are things?"  
His grin widened. "Just fine. We ran into some trouble a while back with the tracking systems for the interceptors. The aliens were sliding past them, and we realized that it was because of what Lt. Jeffries had told them. It ended up simply being a matter of intensifying the radar, so it was never a serious problem. Things have run quite smoothly for a while now."

"That's great. You'll be glad to hear it."

He chuckled and stood up, coming around the desk toward her. "You're looking well."

She stood as well as he came up to her. "So do you. Very well." She grinned up at him. "I'm glad to see that I'm taking good care of you."

He said nothing, just touched her hair lightly and softly smiled.

"So, how did you know it was me?" she asked curiously.

"That was easy," he said. "You're on leave at the moment."

She frowned. "On leave? Why? What happened?"

His lips twitched. "Perhaps I should qualify it. You're on _maternity_ leave."

Chandra gasped. Then her eyes lit up. "Really? Oh, Ed! That's wonderful!"

"I think so," he said, his smile as wide as hers.

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Hmmm?" he said with a pretense at absentmindedness. "I believe it's a baby."

"Ed!" She pouted at him when she met his twinkling eyes, aware that he wasn't going to tell her more than that. Then she frowned. "Wait a minute! When is the due date?"

"Chandra," he chided.

"No, Ed. Listen! Isn't it almost time for the annual Shakespearean Festival? Surely you won't cancel it? Or – you wouldn't get someone else, would you? Ed?"

"Don't borrow trouble, Chandra," he said firmly, laying a finger against her lips to silence her questions.

She glared at him for a long moment, and only his quick reflexes and an intimate knowledge of her temper allowed him to move his hand quickly enough to keep his finger from being bitten.  
"Chandra!" he scolded.

Her laughter echoed through the office for a while after she had disappeared.

***

Straker was grinning when he returned to his chair behind the desk. But it was a while before he got back to reading reports. He didn't know if he'd ever get used to having his wife pop up at intervals to check on how he was doing, but it hadn't been as strange as he had feared it might be. She was – as always – uniquely Chandra.

He wondered for a moment how his very pregnant wife was going to feel about him entertaining strange and exotic women in his office while she was on leave. But then he reminded himself that she already knew about this visit, and he relaxed. The ramifications of time travel could make your head spin if you weren't careful. But he was truly finding all of it an endlessly interesting maze of cause and effect. But then, esoteric things like that had always been a delight to him.

He opened another report just as Lt. Ford came into the office with next week's shift rotations. He seemed surprised to find the commander alone, glancing around the office as if looking for someone. And Straker realized with a sinking heart that he must have seen Chandra come through the Control room.

Great. How was he supposed to explain either his now-empty office or his suddenly un-pregnant wife?

He sighed. There really was only one way.

"Lieutenant," he said. "Have a seat."

***

She was still laughing when she returned to the lab moments after leaving it.

Straker straightened from the wall in time to catch her as she launched herself into his arms.

She kissed him enthusiastically, then drew back to grin at him.

He was a little surprised, but said, "I take it that it went well."

Chandra's grin widened. "Yeah. You could say that. The air is clean."

His brow raised slightly. Certainly she wasn't that excited about the air? She'd been the one to tell him that there was no reason for it to be otherwise now. "I'm glad. Anything we need to be concerned about?"

"Not much," she said with a shrug. "The Thoelians apparently managed to get some information from Lt. Jeffries before I took care of him. So, you'll need to work on boosting the radar on the interceptors. But everything else is fine. Just fine."

Her violet eyes were twinkling at him, so he knew there was more to it than what she was saying. But she was obviously not in a hurry to explain herself further. So he simply nodded and said, "I'll look forward to reading the report of your jump."

Her grin was positively wicked when she answered. "I'm sure you'll find it very edifying."

**Epilogue**

Straker was reading reports in his HQ office the next day when the entire Control room heard him give a shout of laughter.

Lt. Ford looked from the open office door to Col. Freeman, who stood at his elbow talking to Moonbase about lunar flights.

Alec broke off his conversation unceremoniously and headed into the office, unsure what to expect. He found his commander sitting back in his office chair, lighting up one of his rare cigars and grinning from ear to ear.

"Ed? Is everything alright?"

Straker's grin only widened at his friend's bewildered look. He tossed him one of the cigars and said, "Quite alright, Alec. Congratulate me! I'm going to be a father."


End file.
